


Heart of an Eagle

by sapphiredragonfly



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Animagus Reader, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Ravenclaw Reader, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-08 04:07:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26559433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphiredragonfly/pseuds/sapphiredragonfly
Summary: All you wanted was a calm, productive fifth year where you maybe win the Quidditch Cup. Instead, you somehow get roped into helping Harry Potter stay alive during the Triwizard tournament, while also falling for a certain redhead.A slow burn Fred/reader-insert, starting with Goblet of Fire.
Relationships: Fred Weasley/Reader, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 12
Kudos: 140





	1. Caught

You curse Peeves as you try to shake excess water out of your cloak. Peeve’s water balloons, combined with the stormy weather outside the castle, have left you in soaked clothing that not even your warming charms could fix. Even worse, you can feel Cho Chang glaring at you, or more specifically the Prefect badge on your chest, from the other end of the Ravenclaw table. You slump down miserably next to Luna Lovegood, trying to ignore how both your clothes and Cho’s gaze stick to you. 

You look up when the bubbly blonde greets you, forcing yourself to perk up a bit. You notice the empty seats at the staff table and idly wonder what poor soul is going to have the cursed DADA position this year. 

Just then Hagrid enters with the first years. They seem to look younger every year, or maybe it’s because the weather has caused them to look like small drowned rats. You watch as they approach the sorting hat one by one. You clap whenever one is sorted into Ravenclaw, bristling when you hear Cho cheer obnoxiously. Finally the last of the first years are sorted, and the students are told to dig in. 

You quietly chat with Luna about her summer, carefully dodging the questions she asks you in turn. You smile bemusedly at the younger blonde as she talks about her adventures with her eccentric father, trying to keep track of the imaginary creatures referenced in each story. The two of you bonded last year over your shared interest in magical creatures. When it’s your turn, you gush about your own summer research on dragons. 

The conversation fades off as Dumbledore rises to speak. Your mind starts to wander as he starts off with his usual welcome, although you are shocked out of your daydream when you hear-

“...the inter-house quidditch cup will not take place this year.” 

Your head snaps up, and you make eye contact with Cho. No matter your issues, the both of you were still on the Ravenclaw team together. Quidditch is a huge part of your life here, and you start to panic as you realize what cancelling it means. However, as Dumbledore continues on, your panic quickly turns into confusion when you hear him introduce something about a new event this year.

Suddenly the doors of the Great Hall bang open, causing everyone to whip around in their seats. You try to peer over everyones’ heads, catching a glimpse of a scarred, limping man. Your mouth gapes as you notice his odd magical eye, spinning around in his head grotesquely. 

Dumbledore shakes the odd man’s hand and gestures for him to sit at one of the empty chairs at the staff table. The hall remains silent as Dumbledore introduces him as the new DADA teacher. 

Ignoring the shock and confusion that fills the Great Hall, Dumbledore continues his speech, explaining how Hogwarts will be hosting the Triwizard tournament this year. 

You listen intently, surrounded by the curious whispers of the other students. As a muggle-born, the Triwizard tournament is completely new to you. As Dumbledore’s speech drags on, you look around to see if anyone else is hearing the same things that you are. Nobody else cares that this tournament ended because of the death toll? Just you?

However, when the Headmaster finishes his speech, you can’t help but join in with the other student’s excitement. It will be fun to meet students from different schools, plus the chance to meet the Quidditch legend, Viktor Krum, isn’t one to be passed up. 

You file out of the Great Hall with the rest of the school, talking to Luna and some other Ravenclaws about the tournament. However, your curiosity fades as Luna and the others head to bed, leaving you to head to the fifth-year girls’ dormitory alone. When you enter the room, you are dismayed to find Cho and her friends are already there, gossiping and catching up with each other. You awkwardly change into your pajamas and pretend to unpack, until you decide you can’t take it anymore. You shrink your quidditch equipment and shove it into your pocket, leaving the room without a glance back. Their mocking laughter seems to follow you as you leave. 

When you reach the entrance of Ravenclaw tower, you stop and take a deep breath. You can’t risk getting caught sneaking around at night, especially because you’re now a prefect. You suspiciously look around the common room, making sure that you’re alone. After triple-checking, you close your eyes, take another deep breath, and transform. 

Nobody notices the small gray fox blending into the hallway shadows. You’ve spent years researching becoming an Animagus, and spent the entirety of the past summer working to complete the transformation. Your hard work seems to have paid off as you slip out of the castle unseen. 

When you finally make it to the quidditch pitch, you transform back and work on putting your quidditch gear over your pajamas. You laugh at the odd sight, then work on charming the quaffles. 

You spend the next hour practicing throwing the quaffle into the hoops, catching them as they fly back to you. After an hour passes, you can feel the stress ease out of your muscles. Just when you start debating sneaking back to your room, a shout from below almost scares you off your broom. 

“What the hell are you doing?” 

You frantically grab onto your broom and peer down at the ground, spotting a tall redhead peering at you curiously. 

Shit.


	2. Flirting, an effect of sleep deprivation?

You start to panic before realizing that this mystery intruder is also out past curfew. You try to collect yourself as you slowly glide down to meet him on the ground. Gracefully hopping off your broom, you land a couple paces in front of the boy. Now that you’re close enough to see his face, you recognize him as one of the Weasley twins. This is the first time you’ve been close to either of the twins. Come to think of it, this is the first time you’ve seen one without the other. 

“What does it look like I’m doing, Weasley?” You try to sneer, but it comes out too defensive, without the natural sounding nonchalance you were going for. 

“Well I could be wrong, but it seems like you’re playing quidditch at midnight in your pajamas, against yourself.” Fred says. Or George? As far as you know they’re identical. 

“You should be in Ravenclaw with a brain like that” you grumble, pushing past him to make your escape. 

“Ouch, that hurt my pride,” the redhead whines, prompting you to roll your eyes. How can you hear the smile in his voice? Merlin, you’re too tired for this. 

You can hear him running after you, adding to your frustration when his long legs allow him to catch up to you quickly. You know you won’t be able to sneak back to the castle if he’s following you, so you stop in the shadows outside the quidditch pitch and spin back to face him. 

He’s got his hands shoved into his pockets, a practiced joking grin etched onto his face. Unlike you, he is still dressed in his school robes, his long hair brushing the collar.

You put your hands on your hips, giving him your best unemused Prefect glare. Of course, this is undermined by the fact that you’re dressed in blue eagle pajamas, and barely come up to his shoulder. 

“And what are you doing out here, Weasley?” 

“Well I thought I saw someone sneaking out to the Quidditch pitch, and I guess you could say I like a bit of mischief, so I couldn’t miss out!”

You start to panic. Saw you walking to the Quidditch pitch? You were in Animagus form the whole time -hold on, there’s no way he saw a small, dark fox walking on the Hogwarts grounds and decided to investigate. The smug prick is lying! 

Filled with relief and new courage you say “Oh really? You saw me from your window and thought, ah yes, let me go stalk this girl in the middle of the night?”

“Now, I never said that! I just fancied myself a late night stroll, can’t blame a lad for wanting a bit of exercise, eh?” 

This whole situation seems surreal to you, and you can’t think of a way to get him to leave you alone so you can sneak back in. Actually, that reminds you, how did he sneak out in the first place? 

You look at him with suspicion, arching an eyebrow. He scratches the back of his head, being careful to avoid your eye. You’re smart enough to know that asking him how he snuck out without getting caught would just cause him to turn the question back on you, and you couldn’t risk that. 

You’re saved from your internal debate when he awkwardly thrusts his hand in front of your face and says, “I’m Fred Weasley, by the way.” 

You shake his hand, pleasantly surprised by how warm it was. You flush with embarrassment when your hand tingles after he releases it. 

Clearing your throat, you respond with “Y/n Y/l/n” 

“Ah, Ravenclaw chaser, right? We beat you guys last year.” 

“Only because of a logistical error on our captain’s part”

“Sure, sure. That’s what the Ravenclaws always say” 

You surprise yourself when a girlish giggle climbs its way out of your throat. What is going on with you? You must be even more exhausted than you thought. 

“So how about neither of us ask questions we don’t want to answer” you offer, hoping he’s dreading explaining himself as much you are. 

“Sure, mysterious quidditch girl. Keep your secrets” He agrees with a teasing grin. 

You have no idea what to say to that, so you awkwardly say you have to go collect the rest of your stuff from the quidditch pitch. Once you’re safely hidden, you stop to watch him walk back until you deem it safe enough to transform. 

You sneak back into your room, thankful that the rest of the girls are already asleep. You fall onto your pillow and immediately pass out. 

\----------------------------------  
You wake up late in the morning and have to rush to breakfast, sitting alone at the end of the Ravenclaw table. After you stifle a yawn, your eyes dart to the Gryffindor table, totally not looking for a certain Weasley. Last night left you more confused than you’ve ever been, and if you weren’t so exhausted you would think it was all a dream. 

The loud arrival of the owls jolts you out of your small existential crisis. You pretend like it doesn’t hurt that you already know none of the mail is going to be for you. To distract yourself you pull out your schedule, making sure that you are prepared and have everything memorized for the day. Herbology, DADA, Prefects meeting. 

Herbology passes quickly. You quite enjoy Professor Sprout and find herbology calming, especially on days like today when you don’t have to deal with any dangerous or disgusting plants. You leave the class in high spirits and eat lunch before you head to the library. You were walking to your usual table when a small body slammed into you, causing both of your piles of books to fall to the ground and mix together. 

“Oh I’m so sorry!” A witch you recognize as Hermione Granger apologizes when you both bend down to pick up your books. 

“It’s no problem, really” You say, handing her a stack of books on … house elves? She trades the stack of books for your own stack before you each head to different corners of the library.  
After making sure all of the books remain unharmed, you set aside the ones you are going to use for your research. Having access to all of Hogwart’s books on magical creatures was something you greatly looked forward to when you were struggling to research all summer. You eagerly pull a book on dragons towards you and crack it open to the first page. 

You fill three feet of parchment up with notes before you notice that it’s almost time to head to Defense Against the Dark Arts. You decide to pack up and start walking to the classroom early just to make sure you get a good seat, as you expect that this first class with Professor Moody is going to be like nothing you’ve ever witnessed before. 

(And oh how right you were)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 4 in the morning. Sorry for any spelling errors. Enjoy!


	3. A ferret, a marriage proposal, and a non-studying study group

You grab a seat in the second row, sitting down next to a kind looking Hufflepuff boy. The classroom is filled with an air of anticipation as you all wait for the Professor to show up. 

Backs straighten and heads turn when the sound of tapping echoes down the aisleway. Ignoring all the stares, he just barks at the class to put their books away and crashes down into his seat. 

As he calls out names, you take the chance to study him. His magical eye is very strange, rolling about in his head as he makes his way through the list.

“I’ve heard that Professor Lupin gave you all a nice foundation last year. However, you are behind when it comes to curses, so I am going to remedy that.” He pauses, taking a swig out of the flask at his hip. 

“Now, the ministry says that you’re not supposed to learn about dark curses until your sixth year. But I’m going to teach the fourth and fifth years anyway.” The classroom erupts with noise at this statement. 

“Dumbledore agreed that you all are ready for this” Moody growled, slamming his fist down sharply to quiet the class, “so start acting like it!” 

He waits until the class quiets, then asks, “Do any of you know what curses are most heavily punished by magical law?” 

You raise your hand, speaking when he motions for you to answer. “The unforgivable curses, the ones that will get you sent to Azkaban.” You recited straight out of your textbook. 

“Very nice, miss -?” 

You answer with your last name, settling back in your seat as he continues with the lesson. 

A Hufflepuff girl in the back answers the next question, listing the Imperius curse as an example. 

“Ah yes, we deal with this one a lot at the Ministry” Moody states, pulling out a jar with three spiders. He gently pulls one of them out, letting it sit in his hand and showing it to the class. 

He points his wand at the spider and whispers, _”imperio.” _The spider starts to dance and spin around in his hand. The spider’s dramatic performance makes the whole class laugh, yourself included.__

__

Moody grins, “But is it still funny if I make it drown itself?” He makes the spider hover over a glass of water, before plunging it under the surface. The class goes absolutely silent as you all watch the spider thrash violently before sinking slowly to the bottom of the glass. 

__

Your blood runs cold as Moody continues to the next spider, saying a quiet _“crucio” _and watching the spider curl into itself and seize in pain.__

_____ _

__Neither of these curses prepared you for his final demonstration, however. You physically flinch when Moody’s killing curse instantly kills the last spider._ _

____

__You can’t stop staring at the broken husk of that spider for the remainder of the class. It might be naive of you, but this is the first time you’ve seen magic being used for evil. It terrifies you to see that the wonderful gift that has been such a joy for you in the past years could kill you in a second._ _

____

__When class is dismissed you sweep out of the classroom quickly, trying to ignore the echoes of “Constant Vigilance!” and the flash of green light burned inside your head._ _

____

__\-----------------------------------------  
You head down to dinner later in the evening. Still stuck in a daze from the lesson, it takes you a while to notice the fight going on between a group of fourth years. You are unsurprised to see the angry faces of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy, but you hurry over anyway. _ _

____

__You arrive just in time to see Draco fire a hex at Harry before you are pushed roughly to the side. The angry yell dies in your throat when you see that the person who pushed you was Professor Moody, who had his wand turned on Malfoy. Your jaw hangs open when Draco is suddenly transformed into a white ferret. Laughter and cheers fill the Great Hall as you all watch the ferret get bounced up and down against the stone floor._ _

____

__A shocked yell from McGonagall parts the crowd, allowing her to come and save Malfoy. You joyfully watch Moody drag the blond brat away, your mind finally taken off of the events from earlier. You sit next to Luna and a few other Ravenclaw students, making jokes about the bouncing ferret for the rest of dinner._ _

____

__\--------------------------------  
Unfortunately, nothing happened in the next few days that topped the event at dinner. You take advantage of your free schedule on Thursday night to go to the library and force yourself to catch up on some homework. You finish your charms essay and proceed to absently doodle on the back of your Herbology assignment, pausing when loud voices from the table next to you catches your attention. You stifle a laugh when you realize that it’s Ron and Harry making stuff up for their divination class._ _

____

__You’re so focused on Harry’s dramatic predicted death (the second for the week), that you don’t see the two people approaching your table until they plop down across from you._ _

____

__This startles you, and you jump, banging your knee under the table. You curse and rub the injured joint, glaring at the set of twins across from you._ _

____

__“Ah, sorry mate “ The one on the left tells you, “You didn’t mention she was that jumpy, Freddie”_ _

____

__“Now that you mention it, Georgie, she was really jumpy when I caught her out past curfew the other night” The one on the right, Fred apparently, says._ _

____

__“Of course the Ravenclaw’s doing homework. Just like Hermione, you are” He continues, ignoring your huff of indignance._ _

____

__He snatches the piece of parchment laying in front of you, leaning back when you lunge across the table to grab it out of his hand._ _

____

__“Bloody hell!” He says, his eyes twinkling with laughter._ _

____

__“What?” You whine, giving up on grabbing the parchment and covering your face in embarrassment._ _

____

__Fred passes the paper to George and gets up from his chair to kneel on one knee in front of you.  
Grabbing your hand gently, he looks at you in mock seriousness and says, “Mystery Quidditch Girl. I know we’ve talked only once before, but what I just saw shows me that we are meant to be. Will you marry me?” _ _

____

__You frantically rip your hand away from his grasp, your face blushing even redder when you feel the eyes of everyone in the library drawn to Fred’s performance._ _

____

__“Get up, you prat!” You spit angrily, shoving your books away and preparing to run._ _

____

__“Is that a no then?” He retorts cheekily, although his demeanor changes quickly when he realizes you’re truly panicking._ _

____

__“No wait, I was just joking” he says as he sits down and catches your wrist “sit down, I just meant that this is the best piece of artwork I’ve ever seen”_ _

____

__You begrudgingly sit back down, finally snatching your parchment back. A roughly drawn cartoon of Draco Malfoy stares balefully back at you. You weren’t sure what would be funnier; Malfoy with a ferret head or a ferret with Malfoy’s face, so you just drew them both._ _

____

__You’re surprised when the twins simultaneously pull out a couple books and parchment and get set up on the desk._ _

____

__“Are you guys...studying?” You question._ _

____

__“Of course not!” They say together. “These are our plans to be able to put our name in the cup. We’re going to make an aging potion”_ _

____

__You snort at their hopeful stupidity._ _

____

__“You both can’t possibly think that’s going to work, can you?”_ _

____

__“Now you seriously remind us of Hermione” They glance at each other, “The plan is to make a plan so stupid it actually works”_ _

____

__You shake your head in amusement, pulling out a new piece of parchment so you can start your Herbology homework. The three of you work until the library closes, trading jokes and teasing comments back and forth._ _

____

__“We should do this again, y/l/n” Fred says as you’re all packing up to leave._ _

____

__“What, study together?” The idea seems laughable._ _

____

__“No of course not!” Fred exclaims, backed up when George incredulously asks, “Who do you think we are?”_ _

____

__“I mean a not-studying study group,” Fred says, as if it should have been obvious. “We all sit here like the good students we are and do everything except homework. Well, you could do homework if you want. Mum would love it if some of that rubbed off on us.”_ _

____

__You stare at him for a second, trying to judge if he’s being serious. You’re slightly surprised to see that he seems to be telling the truth. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?_ _

____

__You stand, clutching you books to your chest and tell him, “I’d love that”_ _

____

__“Alright, Mystery Quidditch Girl, see you soon then”_ _

____

__“Fred, I have a name you know. And if you’re going to use a nickname, at least come up with a better one.” Oh Merlin, were you flirting? Was he flirting?_ _

____

__“Alright Quidditch girl, I’ll come up with some new ones and get back to you.” He said with a wink._ _

____

__(An actual wink!)_ _

____

__Fred followed his twin out of the library, leaving you staring after him in shock. Your mouth slowly twists into a small smile, which doesn’t leave your face for the rest of the night._ _

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Saturday! I need to stop posting these in the middle of the night, whoops. But I learned how to add italics (I feel like a computer coder!). Also, I have a general overview of where I want this story to go, but if anyone has any scene ideas, I would love the help.


	4. Arrival

Even though you had expected your workload to increase this year in preparation for your O.W.L. exams, you felt like you were drowning. It seemed like the teachers were trying to get as many lessons done as possible before the other schools arrived for the tournament. That, coupled with your prefect duties, left you sleep deprived and miserable. 

The only bright spot was that you had been meeting the Weasley twins every Thursday night to “study.” The twins mostly just argued the whole time while you actually tried to finish all the assignments you put off during the week, but you enjoyed their company all the same. 

With the arrival of the two other schools rapidly approaching, the whole school seemed to be on edge. The castle was being cleaned top to bottom and the teachers seemed to grow more frantic as Halloween approached. 

On the night before the schools were due to arrive, excitement filled the castle. Most students had gone to bed early to rest up for the big day tomorrow. You, in contrast, are currently seated on one of the window seats in Ravenclaw tower, finishing your last assignment of the week. You aren’t sure if you're more mad at Snape for assigning the essay or at yourself for deciding to start it the night before it was due. The clock in the corner chimes quietly, informing you that you were actually starting it the morning it was due. Fantastic.

You let the ambiance of the Ravenclaw common room wash over you, hoping that if you stare at the parchment hard enough your brain will remember why you were put in Ravenclaw and help you out. 

This must work, because you finish the essay surprisingly quickly and happily shove it into your bag. (You hope Snape appreciates the dried tear marks in the corner that somehow formed the shape of a smiley face)

Unfortunately, the pure joy of finishing the essay fills you with enough energy that you know you won’t be able to get to sleep any time soon, so you decide to take advantage of the last normal day and sneak down to the Quidditch Pitch again. 

Your transformation goes smoothly, and you successfully sneak out of the castle. The chill wind gliding through your fur sends a thrill through your body as you race to the pitch. You slide to a stop in the center of the pitch, changing back as you pant for breath. 

It was a clear night, giving you a perfect view of the stars. You lie back on the grass, letting the darkness swallow you. The stars always make you feel so small, in a terrifying yet comforting way. 

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” a voice by your feet jokes. 

You smile, recognizing his voice without even sitting up. “Hello, Fred.” 

You can feel him staring at you, so you pat the ground next to you invitingly. You hear him start to move before he pauses and asks, “What’s on your socks?” He then plops down beside you and stretches out his long limbs. 

“Giraffes.” Then you remember that wizards probably don’t know much about the world’s non-magical wildlife, so you continue with, “they’re animals from Africa. I used to collect animal socks because I wanted to be a Veterinarian before I got my Hogwarts letter. Oh, a Veterinarian is a healer for animals. I want to be a Magizoologist now, but I don’t think wizards really make socks with magical beings on them.” 

“You should come over and meet my brother Charlie sometime. He works with dragons.” Fred says, moving to tuck his hands behind his head. 

“I would love that” you say truthfully, your chest warming in happiness. 

The two of you sit in companionable silence until Fred quietly says, “Mum wants us to work at the Ministry like our dad, but George and I want to open a joke shop.” 

You turn your head to face him. “I think that would be awesome, Fred. You guys are always making crazy stuff” 

He smiles, and your heart breaks a little because you can tell he’s not used to people supporting his dream. “Where’s George, anyway?” You ask in curiosity. 

“George is actually a morning person, believe it or not. I’m the night owl.”

“Ah. Well hopefully that will help me tell you apart better,” you say, although you now realize that you always seem to be able to tell which one is Fred. 

Thankfully he changes the subject and asks, “So, what are you doing out here in late October in only your pajamas?” 

“I like the cold,” you say. “It helps me think.” 

“What do you think about?” 

“Nothing. Everything.” 

“That doesn’t make any sense, you know” He argues. 

“I know” you agree. “And what are you doing out here then?”

“I just like spending time with you.”

You thank the stars that it is too dark for him to see you blush. Clearing your throat you say, “Well that’s flattering, but I can tell you’re just trying to avoid talking about how you know I was out here.” 

“You’ve figured me out!” He exclaims dramatically, even clutching his hands to his heart for the full effect. “How about we just sit here for a while and think about everything and nothing and then we can go our separate ways just to build up the suspense!” 

“Sure, Weasley. That sounds lovely” You both settle back against the grass, staring back up at the stars. 

You were really starting to like Fred Weasley. 

\------------------------------------  
The next day passes at a snail’s pace, and the teachers struggle to contain the students’ excitement. You’re thrilled when everyone finally gets to leave the last class early and deposit their bags in their rooms. You put on your cloak and follow the rest of the school and line up outside of the castle. Luna comes to stand next to you, the both of you burying your noses in your Ravenclaw scarves when the cold starts to set in. 

After what seems like hours, Dumbledore announces that Beauxbaton will be arriving soon. Just after he announces this, a giant horse drawn carriage appears over the Forbidden Forest. When the carriage crashes to a stop outside of Hogwart’s steps, you admire the sheer size of the horses. You follow the rest of the students when they start to clap as an enormous woman emerges from the carriage. 

She seems even taller than Hagrid, with shiny hair pulled back in a fierce bun. Dumbledore greets her with a kiss to the hand, introducing her as Madam Maxine. You’re intrigued when you hear her mention that the horses only drink whiskey. However, your curiosity soon turns to anger when she rudely forces her way through the Hogwarts students, ushering a dozen students dressed in light blue into the castle. 

Just as the doors slam closed behind the Beauxbaton party, a loud rumbling noise starts coming from the lake. You stand on your toes to try to see over everyone’s heads, just spotting the top of a ship emerging from a whirlpool. The ship was black and skeletal, gliding quickly towards the bank. A wooden plank is lowered onto the beach and a few students dressed in thick furred cloaks march out. 

You watch as a tall, thin man greets Dumbledore. You hear Dumbledore introduce him as Professor Karkaroff just when you hear a boy yell- 

“It’s Krum!”

And indeed it was! You spot the quidditch legend following behind Professor Karkaroff, ignoring the gossiping students as everyone filed into the Great Hall. 

To your surprise, the Beauxbaton students settle in at the Ravenclaw table. Luna greets the girls who sit across from you, complimenting the blonde one by saying her hat must help keep away the nargles. 

The girl eyes Luna in a disbelief before turning to her friend and saying, “Iz she sick in ze ‘ead?” 

You gape at her, reaching down to grab Luna’s hand under the table. You glare at Cho when she joins in with their laughter. 

They’re saved from your very aggressive defense of Luna when Madam Maxine enters, leading them all to jump up from their seats. Madam Maxine and Professor Karkaroff sit at the staff table, drawing your attention to the multiple empty seats. Dumbledore interrupts your pondering of who the extra seats are for by welcoming all of the guests. 

Your blood boils when the Beauxbaton girls laugh at Dumbledore and then proceed to pick at their food with disgust. When the blonde leaves to search for more of some strange French food, you’re disgusted to notice almost all the boys in the room are following her every move.  
Then two men walk in and sit at the staff table, drawing your attention away from your internal debate over whether or not you should stab her with your fork. 

Dumbledore stands, introducing the newcomers as Ludo Bagman and Mr. Couch, the organizers of the tournament. He motions for everyone to continue eating before sitting back down at the table. 

Finally, when everyone is finished eating, Filch approaches Dumbledore with an old jewel encrusted chest. He places it on the table before Dumbledore, who takes his wand and taps the chest three times. He then pulls out a large wooden cup filled with dancing blue flames. 

After placing it on the table, Dumbledore starts to outline the rules for the tournament. “Anybody wishing to be chosen must write their names on a slip of paper and place it in the goblet. You have 24 hours after it is placed in the entrance hall tonight. To ensure no underage student can yield to temptation, I have drawn an age line around the Goblet of fire.” 

There was a loud outcry at that. You’re 15 and Luna’s only 13, so neither of you could enter even if you wanted to. However, many of the other students weren’t that accepting of the idea and complained the whole way to the common room after the feast ended. You were relieved to discover that the Beauxbaton students would be sleeping in their carriage and not in Ravenclaw tower and were able to fall asleep without trouble. 

\-----------------------------------  
You woke early the next morning and headed down to the Great Hall to see who will put their name in the Goblet of Fire. Just as you got there, Fred and George skidded to a stop right next to you clutching a potion and two slips of paper. 

“You can’t still believe that an aging potion is going to work!” You asked incredulously. 

George just ignored you, but Fred laughed at your comment. “We didn’t know it was just going to be an age line, but this is even better. How is that cup going to know if we aren’t 17 anyway?” He took a big breath and stepped over the line. When nothing happened, George followed and they both cheered, the other Gryffindors joining in. 

Then they were thrown out of the circle with a loud bang. As they scrambled to their feet, everyone cried out in laughter when they saw that the twins now had long white beards. You head to breakfast after Dumbledore sends them to the hospital wing, shaking your head at their antics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, it's me posting in the middle of the night again! School has been kicking my ass recently, so the scene where you cry over the essay may or may not be a true story. Also, I know the animal sock part is super random but I thought of a future scene to go with that so I had to throw it in. And I really like Fleur but when I reread this part of the book I realized she kinda sucks in the beginning so I had to bash her a little bit.
> 
> Sorry for any spelling mistakes, I'm very tired lol


	5. The Champions

If you thought that the castle was filled with excitement before, it was nothing compared to what it felt like when you entered the Great Hall for the Halloween Feast. The room was filled with live bats and carved pumpkins, but the only thing the students were looking at was the Goblet of Fire standing on the staff table. 

You sit down next to Luna and are pleased to notice the absence of certain Beauxbaton girls from your section of the table. Unfortunately, your joy is soon forgotten when you glance at the top of the table and see them seated next to Cho. Clenching your jaw, you force yourself to look down and concentrate on spooning food onto your plate. 

You listen to Luna quietly read aloud from the Quibbler until it gets too loud to hear her. When the noise drowns out her voice you start to look around the room to pass the time. You huff out a quiet laugh when your eyes catch on two red-headed twins, now free of their long beards. 

Dumbledore gets to his feet, drawing your attention away from the twins. He waves his wand and puts out most of the candles with a quick display of magic. The noise quiets as the room is bathed in darkness, leaving the room lit by the blue flames spilling out of the goblet. 

A tiny gasp leaves your throat when the flames flash red and throw sparks about the room. A charred piece of parchment flies out, quickly grabbed by Dumbledore. After reading the name on the paper, he loudly announces, “Viktor Krum!” 

Cheers erupt in the hall, and you clap and yell along with everyone else. Viktor stands up from the Slytherin table and walks to the front of the room, where he then disappears into the next chamber. 

Soon after the door closes behind Krum, the goblet turns red again and shoots out a second name. Dumbledore snatches it quickly, allowing for a pause before announcing, “Fleur Delacour!” 

Her name is met with much less applause than Krum, and you slow your own polite clapping when you realize it's the very same blonde girl who insulted Luna. She prances up to the front of the room with a smirk, leaving her classmates sobbing behind her. 

Everybody’s eyes had already focused on the Goblet by the time the door closes behind her, all the Hogwarts students eagerly holding their breath and waiting for the last name. Thankfully you all didn’t have to wait long, as Dumbledore is snatching a piece of parchment out of the air a second later. This time he gives a long, dramatic pause before bellowing, “Cedric Diggory!” 

The Hufflepuff table jumps to their feet to yell and cheer at Cedric, joined by cheers from most of the other students. You join the others and clap for Cedric, but curl your lip when Cho jumps up and claps obnoxiously. Cedric makes his way up the aisle to join the rest of the Champions, smirking just like Fleur. 

Dumbledore struggles to quiet down the students long after he leaves the hall. 

Just when he opens his mouth to start addressing the room, the fire in the goblet turns red and spits out another slip of parchment, silencing any remaining noise in the hall. Dumbledore reaches for it hesitantly, taking a long pause before even reading the paper. Then, with what seems like great reluctance, the Headmaster calls out, “Harry Potter” 

You jerk your head to the Gryffindor table, where Harry sits frozen between his friends. The poor dark haired boy seems just as shocked as everyone else, and he has to be forced out of his seat by his friends. He stumbles slowly to the front where Dumbledore then grabs his arm and drags him into the room with the rest of the Champions. When the door shuts behind Harry, Dumbledore turns back to the room to dismiss you all before following him into the room. 

The hall fills with voices the second the door shuts. Everybody stands and tries to make their way out into the hallway, but the excitement causes the mass of students to get stuck trying to leave the hall. You and Luna end up being one of the last to get through the doors and are then stopped by the crowd of students left gossiping outside. Luna somehow manages to sneak through the mass of students, leaving you to try to plan your escape alone. 

You manage to shove your way through half the crowd but pause when you heard a Ravenclaw Seventh year bash Harry. 

“He’s just doing it for attention,” you hear the girl say, who you now recognize as Jane Evers. And of course she was talking to Cho and her friends. Were you really going to yell at the seventh year for talking bad about the Gryffindor kid you had never talked to? 

Oblivious, she continues talking. “This is the one year someone else would have the spotlight, so I guess he just couldn’t handle it.” 

Okay, yup, you were totally going to say something. “Hey Jane” You call out, putting your hands on your hips when she and the other girls turn to you. 

“Yeah, you. Harry Potter is a child. You’re an adult. You’re old enough to know that none of the things that happened to Harry are good things. Do you actually think he wanted to watch his parents get killed and then risk his life multiple times?” Your eyes leave her face to look at Cho, who meets your eyes with look of both anger and embarrassment. Breaking eye contact with her you angrily address the whole room now, waving your hands and yelling, “You all need to grow up!” 

Cho looks at you with so much disgust before pulling her friends away and saying, “whatever, he has nothing on Cedric anyway.” 

_Oh Merlin, what have you done? _All your bravery and anger runs out of you, leaving you cold with anxiety. Everyone was staring at you and whispering, and you now realize that you had to sleep in the same room as Cho tonight.__

____

“Hey, do you want to have a sleepover?” You turn around to see Hermione Granger looking at you expectantly. 

____

You’ve never talked to the girl in your life, but the idea of not having to go back to Ravenclaw tower eliminated any awkwardness you normally would have had and allowed you to nod your head gratefully. You follow the bushy-haired witch through the halls until you stop at a portrait with the fat lady. It takes Hermione a couple tries to get her attention away from another painting gossiping with her, but finally the portrait swings open to let you inside. 

____

When you step into the Gryffindor common room you are greeted by a roar of noise. Once the crowd realizes that you weren’t Harry, they turn away from you both to continue on with what looks like a massive party. You’re jolted out of your silent perusal of Gryffindor tower when you notice that Hermione has started climbing the stairs to her room, and you race after her. 

____

You’re thankful for the crowd downstairs when you see that Hermione’s room was empty. She hands you an extra set of pajamas, which you take and change quickly in the corner, folding your uniform for the next day. 

____

When you turn around you see that Hermione has made a bed of pillows and blankets on the floor and is now sitting cross-legged on her own bed. You sit down on the makeshift bed, stretching out your legs and leaning back on the wall behind you. 

____

The witch across from you straightens up and clears her throat, breaking the silence by saying simply, “Well hello, I’m Hermione Granger” 

____

“I know” you state bluntly. “I mean, it’s hard not to know about the brightest witch of her age.” 

____

“Well I’ve heard of you too, Y/N Y/L/N. You’re almost at the top of your class as well.” She flips her mass of curls over her shoulder, folding her hands in her lap. “I don’t have a lot of girl friends, you see. Harry and Ron are great of course, but sometimes they can be a bit…” she waves a hand around her head, as though trying to search for the word before she settles for “...irritating.” 

____

You nod your head at that, although you’re still puzzled to see where she was going with this whole situation. 

“What you said about Harry tonight was extremely kind of you. He’s going to need as much help as he can get in these coming months. Plus, I’ve noticed that you’ve been studying with the Weasley twins, and only an extraordinary person could have accomplished that.” 

____

Now you were wholly uncomfortable. You didn’t have her Gryffindor bravery, and your defense of Harry was as much out of bitterness towards Cho as it was pity for the boy. As for the twins, you knew she would probably have a heart attack if she knew you were an accomplished procrastinator who helped the boys invent pranks to avoid writing essays. 

____

Instead you just said, “I also don’t have many girl friends, and I would love to get to know you.” 

____

She beams at your answer, immediately launching into questions. “What do you want to do after Hogwarts?” 

____

“Oh, I want to be a Magizoologist” You were thankful for the question, as this was a topic you could talk about for ages. “It fascinates me how little the magical community knows about magical creatures. And they treat the creatures so terribly, even though it’s only a matter of ignorance on their part!” 

____

To your surprise, Hermione brightens up at that. “Would you like to join S.P.E.W.?” When she sees confusion written all over your face, she elaborates “Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. There are house elves being enslaved at Hogwarts, right under our noses!” 

____

“I didn’t know there were house elves at Hogwarts. I barely know what a house elf is” 

____

“Oh, you’re a muggle-born too?” 

____

“Yeah,” you say, then take the pin that she offers you excitedly. “Oh, thank you. I’ll make sure to put it on my bag tomorrow.” 

You lapse in a slightly awkward silence until she says “Well, thank you for standing up for Harry tonight.” 

____

“It was nothing, truly.” You promise, although you both know that’s a lie. Thankfully she doesn’t say anything, and you both settle in for bed after a quiet goodnight. 

____

\------------------------------------------- 

____

You wake up when you hear Hermione getting ready to leave. 

____

“Oh you’re awake! Do you want to walk to breakfast together?” 

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“Yeah, that’d be great Hermione.” She waits for you to get dressed and gather your stuff, then you both make your way to the door, being careful not to wake the other sleeping girls. It seems like all the Gryffindors are sleeping in after their party last night because you and Hermione manage to leave the common room without spotting anyone else. You walk together in companionable silence before parting at the Great Hall. 

____

After giving her a small wave you head to the Ravenclaw table. Even though there weren’t many people at breakfast, you can feel the tension in the air. You grab some toast and make your escape to Ravenclaw tower to change and grab your bag, trying to ignore the hateful gazes on your back. 

____

Once you have your bag, you head down to the library to get some work done and to avoid talking to anyone for a little while longer. You’re finishing up a Herbology assignment when Fred and George plop down across from you. Your confusion about why the twins are doing homework on a Sunday soon makes a lot more sense when the boys pull out a notebook and a handful of wrapped sweets from their pockets. 

____

“Ah, what’s on the menu for today boys?” 

____

“Thank you so much for asking, my dear. Fred, you want to take it from here?” George says, motioning to his brother. Fred in turn gestures to the sweets before replying with, “may I present our Ton-Tongue Toffees and Canary Creams, our newest inventions!” 

____

You smile, grabbing a piece and inspecting it. “Well, the packaging looks wonderful guys. What do they do?” 

____

“Well for the Ton-Tongue Toffees we used a simple engorgement charm” George states humbly. 

“It makes the consumer’s tongue grow to an undetermined size, we haven’t tested it out much yet” Fred continues. 

____

“Other than on Harry’s cousin, of course.” 

____

You’re too distracted from hearing someone say your name to respond to that concerning statement. 

____

“Cho, I can’t believe you used to be friends with her!” You hear Marietta Edgecombe say at one of the tables behind you. 

____

“Honestly, it’s not the poor girl's fault.” A new voice pipes in. It was Jane Evers, and you could tell that she was about to get back at you for last night. “Cho, didn’t you say she didn’t come back last night? She must be sleeping with one of the Weasley twins. Look at them over there. They must be using her for homework answers, and she’s too stupid to realize she isn’t actually wanted.” 

____

By now your shoulders are hunched up to your ears, and you’re staring at your Herbology assignment with blurry vision. When you notice that Fred and George have gone silent and are staring at you, you jump up and start shoving things into your bag. You race out of the library without looking at them, trying to keep it together long enough to make it to Ravenclaw tower. 

____

Thankfully the riddle is easy and you’re able to get up to your room quickly, tossing your bag onto the floor and throwing yourself on the bed. Turning onto your side so that you’re facing away from the door, you hug your pillow to your chest and sob. You know the comments were stupid and untrue, but it just brought back a lot of feelings you had been avoiding. Cho was the only one who knew how much those words would hurt you, and you can’t help but wonder how much she told the others. Even though this year has distracted you from the pain from home and from last year, right now you’ve never felt so alone. 

____

You must have managed to cry yourself to sleep because screaming and yelling from the common room startles you awake. Through your sleepy haze you hear the words “Weasley twins,” “prank,” and “sweets” and then some random garbled noises that sound as if it came from a girl with an extremely large tongue.

____

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive! (Barely)


	6. Hogsmeade

You wake early on Sunday morning to a pounding headache and a mess of dried tears on your face. You tiptoe past the other girls’ beds and take a hot shower, letting the water wash all the reminders of last night from your body. All too soon you shut off the water, stepping out of the shower and wrapping yourself with a towel. Almost unconsciously you reach out and wipe the steam from the mirror, staring back at the reflection. The girl in the mirror looks sad, with dark eye bags and a frown. 

_Honestly, you look pathetic. _You stick your tongue out at the sad girl in the mirror, cracking a smile when that reminds you of the twins’ prank. That smile fades quickly, and you take a deep breath before returning to life outside. You leave the girl in the mirror behind you and sneak back upstairs.__

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You change quickly and then walk quietly to the door. A sudden loud snore stops you with your hand on the door knob, your heart pounding with anxiety. No. You square your shoulders and pull the door open. _Fuck all of them. You’re done. ___

______ _ _

The adrenaline leaves you when you finally enter the Great Hall, so you eat a quick breakfast and then decide to hide in the library again. 

______ _ _

You sit there for a while, alternating between doing your assignments and trying to crack open books on assorted magical creatures. When you find yourself reading the same page for the fifth time, you snap the book closed and drop your head onto the table. 

______ _ _

“Hey” a voice sounds from above you, rudely interrupting your pleasant nap on the wooden table. “How are you doing?” 

______ _ _

“Hi fred,” you say, looking up at him with your head still resting on the table. “I don’t really want to talk about it.” 

______ _ _

He just nods and slumps down in the chair across from you. He drops his head down to the table as well, copying you and turning his head to look at you. 

______ _ _

The both of you stare at each other straight faced, heads glued to the table at an awkward angle. You make it about thirty seconds before you snort a laugh, jerking upright and clapping a hand around your mouth. 

______ _ _

Fred straightens up as well, a proud smile gracing his freckled face. With the cheeky grin still in place he says, “So, I heard someone might have had an incident with our Ton Tongue Toffee.” 

______ _ _

You grin right back at him before responding, “As a Prefect, who is expected to report such pranks, I must say I have no idea what you mean.”

______ _ _

He throws his hands out in front of him, shaking them in denial. “Oh, it wasn’t a prank! Terrible accident really, must have slipped from George’s pocket and appeared right by their table.” He shrugs, his mouth pulled into a guiltless grin. 

______ _ _

“Mm, sure.” You hum, fighting the smile at the corners of your mouth. 

______ _ _

“Well, how long did the tongue get?” he asks eagerly. “I’m only concerned about her well-being of course!” 

______ _ _

“I would say approximately two meters, give or take” You say, tapping your fingers against your chin as if in thought. 

______ _ _

“Ah, brilliant!” He gloats, clapping his hands together. He then clears his throat and clasps his hands to his heart, adopting a more chagrined expression and saying, “I mean, how terrible!” 

______ _ _

You smile at him, shaking your head and idly shuffling your papers on the table.

______ _ _

Your hands stop when he sits back in his chair and asks quietly, “What happened between you and Cho?” 

______ _ _

You take a deep breath, letting it out slowly through your nose. You weren’t smiling anymore, instead staring down at the grains of the table.“We became best friends at the beginning of our first year,” you begin, tracing random patterns on the table. “She was the one who taught me to play Quidditch.” You smile bitterly at that, “I told her everything, about my family, about being a muggleborn.” 

______ _ _

“We just grew apart, I guess. People tend to… grow out of me.” Fred looks at you with pity, and it makes you angry. 

______ _ _

“Did you know there’s blood purists in Ravenclaw?” you ask him, not waiting to hear his answer. “I didn’t. Obviously the Slytherins are awful, but some of the Ravenclaws can be horrible too. But when you think about it, how could intelligence and wealth give you anything but a superiority complex?” You let out a mocking laugh at that. 

______ _ _

“Cho just met some of those people and chose them over me. But it’s ok, I’m over it now.” 

______ _ _

When you finally find the bravery to look at him, Fred has an unusually serious expression on his face. He reaches across the table and grabs your hand. Ignoring your uncomfortable expression, he says,”I’m sorry that happened to you y/n. Just know that George and I are here for you, we’re your friends, yeah?”

______ _ _

That gets a small smile out of you. 

______ _ _

“Now, I actually came here to ask for help on this new product we were working on...”

______ _ _

You’re thankful for the change in topic, eagerly reaching for the plans he pulls out of his bag. The two of you spend most of the day going over product ideas, and you almost forget all about Cho.

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\-------------------------------------

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Everything seems to get crazier and crazier as the day of the first task approaches. You have no more gut-spilling sessions with Fred. Actually, you barely even see him, being too busy dividing your time between classes,studying, Prefect duties, and maybe a little time for eating and sleeping. You haven’t had time to transform, although you probably wouldn’t have risked it with all the extra people around. 

______ _ _

You keep getting dirty looks and taunts from the Ravenclaws, which sucks, but you’re thankful you’re not Harry Potter. The boy gets bullied from all the houses except Gryffindor, and you can tell even the teachers are treating him differently. 

______ _ _

Other than you two, the other students seem to be thriving. Krum and Cedric both have crowds of girls swarming after them, and the Slytherins have taken credit for the recent surge in button sales, as if anyone could think any other house created them. Obviously they weren’t created by anyone in Ravenclaw. _Potter Stinks? _That’s the best they could come up with?__

____

______ _ _

____

Anyway, today was a break you’ve been looking forward to for weeks. The professors had planned a Hogsmeade trip the Saturday before the first task, and you were glad for the excuse to get outside. Unfortunately you didn’t have a date, but you and Luna decided to make the trek together. She almost immediately ditches you to go meet with her father, so you decide to head over to the Three Broomsticks.

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With your hands shoved deep into your pockets, you struggle to shoulder the door open. When the door finally opens you shuffle inside, smiling apologetically at the people seated next to the door when they glare at the gust of cold air you let in. 

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The place is packed inside, so you decide to try and find a spot near the bar. Just as you start to shove your way forward, you hear a voice call out your name. 

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Fred and George are sitting at a table to your right, waving you over. You make your way to their table, sliding in next to Fred as he and George scoot over in the booth. Lee Jordan and the twins’ brother Ron are seated across from you, and you give them an awkward wave in greeting.

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____

While the boys resume whatever conversation they had been having, you notice Hermione sit down at a table holding two butterbeers. You cock your head when you see her slide the butterbeer across the table, only to see it disappear into thin air. 

____

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_What the actual fu- ___

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“Hey, y/n, you’re a Ravenclaw chaser right?” Ron Weasley asks you, his eyes darting between you and Hermione’s table. 

____

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“Yeah, I am” You answer distractedly, watching as Ron tries to silently communicate with his brothers. Geez, how did Hermione deal with these idiots? 

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“Oh, um. That’s super cool,” Ron responds, his eyebrows finally giving up on communicating with the twins. 

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You narrow your eyes at him, peering over his shoulder to search for the missing butterbeer. You suddenly forget all of your suspicions when Fred drops his arm around your shoulder and starts to slide you out of the booth. 

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When you peer up at him in question he just looks to the rest of the boys and says, “Hey, you know what, let’s get out of here!”

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You’re about to call them out on it when the door clangs open, announcing the arrival of Cho and her minions. 

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You drop your head and let Fred push you out of the booth and steer you past the group. He drops his arm when you all get out of the building, and you’re thankful that you can blame the cold for the blush on your cheeks. 

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The cold wind chases you all back to the castle where you go your separate ways. You only remember the disappearing butterbeer when you’re already in Ravenclaw tower, so you tuck away that mystery for later. 

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You spend the rest of your day off curled up with a book, enjoying the afternoon with no work. Unfortunately, the next day comes too soon, and you find yourself dragging your feet to your normal corner in the library. 

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“You’re very blue today” Fred greets you, already sitting at the table with George. 

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“Sorry?” You ask, before realizing that you’re dressed in your ravenclaw quidditch sweater, muggle jeans, and blue socks (with sharks this time). “Oh. Well I am in Ravenclaw.” 

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“You look good in blue” He says, turning back to his work and avoiding your eyes. 

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There wasn’t enough time to let that comment truly sink in, because at that moment Hermione chose to tap you on the shoulder and clear her throat. You look up and notice Harry Potter standing behind her, holding an enormous stack of books and looking pale and anxious. 

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“Y/n, we need your help”

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave kudos or a comment! I'm slowly dragging myself to Thanksgiving break, so I'll start posting more soon!

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be a long work and I plan to update hopefully twice a week (I'm currently in college though, so we'll see about that) I also have no idea what I'm doing, this is just for fun :)


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